Borderless: Scandinavia

March 23 - April 6, 2019Opening March 23, 7-11pm

Gabba Gallery presents Borderless: Scandinavia, the second exhibition in our international series, Borderless, which showcases outstanding artists from different parts of the globe. This exciting show will feature work by three Scandinavian artists: Ari Behn (Norway/Denmark), Espen Eiborg (Norway), and Mikael Persbrandt (Sweden).

The opening reception for Borderless: Scandinavia will take place March 23, 7-11pm. The event is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. DJ Jonathan Williams spinning. Bar sponsored by Humboldt Distillery and Auspicion Wine. Limited free parking behind 3125 Beverly Blvd. (enter off Dillon) or street parking. Uber/Lyft highly encouraged. Gabba Gallery is located at 3126 Beverly Blvd.

Borderless: Scandinavia will be on view through April 6. After the opening, normal gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday noon-3pm or by appointment.

Gabba curators Jason Ostro and Elena Jacobson introduced the Borderless series in April 2018 with Borderless: Latin America. Each exhibition is intended to connect Los Angeles with a different part of the world through the universal language of art.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Ari Behn of Norway is a true creative, having worked on projects ranging from books, a TV series, and even a collection of wineglasses. As a painter, Behn’s work took a turn when he went through his divorce with wife of 15 years, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway. Creatively honest about his experiences, Behn’s paintings evoke the history and his experience as part of the Royal family. His use of color is striking, with brightly colored line figures dancing against vibrant color-block backgrounds and a pointed use of muted colors. Since the beginning of 2017, Behn has been presented in a touring art exhibit which has travelled around Norway. The exhibit has visited more than 40 towns and villages, several places achieving record numbers.

Espen Eiborg’s work often depicts beloved modern and contemporary celebrities, contrasted by utilizing a wide variety of media, and composed in a way that invites the viewer into a space between reality and imagination. Use of bright, primary color, text, and thick varnish draws attention to the nuance in each composition evoking a temporary resolution between the callous and the delicate. A native to Norway, Eiborg has exhibited across Europe including in Dublin, Stockholm, and Paris, and made his way to New York as well. Now he joins us in LA.

Widely recognized for his work as an actor, Michael Persbrandt made a grand return to painting with his opening at Gallery Sandgrunn in Karlstad in 2014. The show broke Swedish records, clocking in over 80,000 visitors. Persbrandt paintings dance between the figurative and the abstract, loose forms create movement and entice the viewer to look a little longer. The artist is expressive in his forms with, at times, intense strokes and bold colors, feathered in with soft smudges and wild splatters. Many of his works have a dark undertone, but he also sometimes moves towards lighter, more decorative expressions.